Mail-carrying apparatus.



(LA. McDOUGALL & .1 M. GIVENS;

MAIL CARRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20. 1-916.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

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llllllllllll llllll C. A. McDOUGALL & J. M. GIVENS Patented Aug. 14,1917.

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C, A. McDOUGALL & J. M. GIVENS. MAIL CARRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.20.19I6. v 1,286,459 PatentedAug. 14,1917.

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Pr mo CLARENCE A. MODOUG'ALL AND OI-IN IVL GIV ENS, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

MAIL-CARRYING APPARATUS.

Application filed November 20, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

7 Be it known that we, CLARENCE A. Mo- DOUGALL and JOHN M. GIVENS,citizens of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county ofDouglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in a Mail-Carrying Apparatus, of which the following is aspeci- This invention relates to a mail carrying apparatus or systemuseful in the country or suburban districts, in connection with the R.F. D. mail carrying systems now in general use. lVhile the apparatus isdescribed as a means for carrying letters or packages, it may, ofcourse, be used for other purposes.

The invention includes a carrier to be operated at one station forconveying letters or packages any desired distance in either directionbetween two posts or stations, and means for signaling from one stationto the other; and also includes certain details of construction found tobe of advantage in operation.

lVith the foregoing objects in view, the invention presents a novelconstruction, com.- bination and arrangement of parts as describedherein and claimed, and as illustrated in the drawing, wherein,

Figure 1 is a broken away view showing the parts in side elevation,viewed from line 1-1, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view illustrating theparts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side view of a frame support for thecarrier, at one of the stations, an electric motor being shown. Fig. 4cis a view of the supporting frame shown in Fig. 3, taken at right anglesthereto, the motor being omitted. Fig. 5 is an end view of a framesupport for another terminal station. Fig. 6 is a view of the same takenat right angles to the view shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a view on anenlarged scale showing a cross-bar and carrier supports for anintermediate post. Fig. 8 is an end view of a letter or packagereceptacle and its mounting. Fig. 9 is a side view of the same. Fig. 10is a plan view of an actuating lever employed for automatically openingan electrical circuit. Fig. 11 is a side view, partly broken, showing across-bar and carrier supports for one of the intermediate posts. Fig.12 is a diagrammatic view showing electrical conductors for. signaling.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14:, 1917.

Serial No. 132,364.

Referring to the drawing for a more particular description, numeral 1indicates a post or station which may be located at or near alresidenceor farm house, and numeral 2 indicates .a post or station which may belocated at a cross-roads visited at intervals by a mail carrier. It willbe Lmderstood that the principal object to be attained is theconvenience and saving of time in receiving or delivering mail, sincethe stations 1 and 2 may be a considerable distance from each other; andit will be noted that 'both are to be described as receiving as well assending stations.

At a: is indicated an endless carrier, which may consist of any suitablecable, band or strand of any required length, and is mounted upon theperipherally grooved wheels 3 and i, the wheel 3 being driven by theupright shaft 5 having suitable bearings in the frame 6 and actuated bya motor 7 or by a manually operated crank 8, a horizontal driving shaft9 being employed for driving the shaft 5.

The wheel 4 for the station 2 is preferably mounted as an idler upon theshaft or pivot pin 10 which is mounted in the upper end of the plate 11,said plate being mounted pivotally between its ends as indicated at 12upon and near the upper ends of the upright posts 13, the lower end ofthe plate 11 being provided with an arm 14: having apertures 15 formedtherein at longitudinal intervals so that the plate may be adjusted to adesired degree of inclination and maintained at such inclination bymeans of a pin 16 traversing one of said upright posts, and on accountof this arrangement, the wheel 4: may be disposed nearer to or fartherfrom the ground, and a desired degree of tension for the cable orcarrier 00 may be provided.

The arrangement is such that mail packages may be conveyed any desireddistance regardless of the hills or valleys of the intervening spacebetween the two stations, any required numberof upright posts 17 and. 18of suitable heights being employed, and the movement of the carrier maybe in straight lines or angular, as best shown in Fig. 2. a

At 19 are indicated tubular cross-bars each being mounted midway betweenits ends upon a post 17 and each being traversed by a shaft 20 (Fig.11.) upon which pulleys 21 are mounted as idlers for supporting theendless carrier 00. In instances where it is required that the carriershall move angularly, cross-bars 22 are employed, each being mountedbetween its ends upon a post 18, one of its ends being provided with apivot-pin 23 disposed at right angles to the bar to provide bearings fora periph erally grooved, horizontal wheel 24, the opposite end of thebar being provided with a pivot-pin 25 disposed inclinedly to the axisof the bar 22 to provide bearings for a pulley 26, the wheels 24 andpulleys 26 being mounted as idlers, and in the peripheral grooves ofwhich the carrier w engages.

Numerals 27 indicate a pair of elongated, cone-shaped receptacles forcontaining letters or packages, arranged to be disposed horizontallywhen moving, the convergent front end of each being indicated at a and alid 6 being provided and hingeably mounted upon its rear end, the lidbeing provided with a suitable catch 0 as plainly shown in the drawing.At 28 are indicated hangers, each preferably consisting of a band ormetallic plate bent to provide an arm 03 adapted, normally, to bedisposed horizontally, and an arm 6 disposed vertically, said arm clhaving a curved terminal best shown in Fig. 8, the curvature beingupwardly and outwardly to terminate in a pair of loops 7, said loopsbeing disposed a suitable distance apart so that they will resiststresses to advantagewhen secured upon the carrier.

The hangers are so disposed upon the endless carrier that, in operation,when one receptacle is at the station 1, the other will be at thestation 2. The mounting of each receptacle is such that it may swingdependingly transversely of the arm 03 by reason of its pivotal mounting29 upon the clasp or sleeve 30, and by means of a keeper 31, the sleevemay be adjusted longitudinally of the arm (5 so that the center ofgravity for the receptacle will be in line with the carrier, the arm ebeing maintained substantially in a vertical POSltiOIl during themovements of the carrier.

In operation, when it is desired to cause mail matter to be conveyedfrom station a 1 to station 2, the carrier w may be actuated by means ofthe motor 7 or the crank 8, and the receptacle containing the mail willbe conducted to the wheel at station 2, the other receptacle beingcoincidently con ducted to station 1, theloops fot the hangers moving inthe grooves of the wheels and pulleys without obstruction since they areof convexed form in cross-section and of such proportion that they willreadily engage in said grooves.

. As bestshown in Figs. 4 and 10, one of the posts 9 of the frame 6 atthe station 1 is provided with a trip-lever 32 which may be manuallyswung to be disposed in the line of movement of the arms eof the hangers28, and when either of the receptacles reaches the wheel 3 an arm atwill cause a swinging movementof the arm or lever 32 for opening anelectrical circuit to automatically terminate operation of the electricmotor 7 to thereby terminate the movement of the carrier and receptaclesat the stations.

Any desired electrical control may be employed for the operation lastmentioned, as the electrical conductor 33 having a metallic contactindicated at 34 with the knife switch 35 of the lever 32, said conductor33 being electrically connected with the motor 7 and energized by abattery 36, an electrical conductor 37 from the battery being inelectrical communication with the plate 38 secured upon the post g, andsuitable insulation being provided, and the metallic plate 38 belng inengagement with the metallic head it of the trip lever. V i Y Theapparatus thus described provides a convenient means for the carriage ofletters or packages, and when used as a system, facilitates thecollection of mail as well as its delivery. It is more useful andconvenient, however, by reason of certain electric signals which, atvery slight expense, may be operated by use of the electrical conductors39, 40 and 41 shown in Fig. 12, which may be energized by the battery 42when the switch 43 at the station 2 is closed by the postman by movingit into engagement with the electrical contact 44 to cause actuation ofany desired electrical signal, as theringing of a bell 45 located at thestation 1 to indicate that mail has been deposited in a re ceptacle 27.An operator at the station 1 thereupon may cause a movement of the carrier for conducting the receptacle to said station 1.

In the use of the apparatus, the receptacles are normally disposed atthe stationsl and 2, and to visibly indicate to the postman that thereceptacle at station 2 contains mail for the purpose of mailing, aperson at station 1, by means of the electrical conductors 39 and 40,when the switch 46 has been closed, the switch 43 being in engagementwith the electrical con tact 47, may cause actuation of any desiredelectric signal, as the flashing of a light 48, located at the station2. It will be understood, to facilitate operation, the postman, whenleaving the station 2 should move the switch 48 into engagement with theelectrical contact 47, so that an operator at thestation 1 may, at anytime, by closing the switch 46, cause a flashing of the light 48.

The operations mentioned are of particular advantage since all travelfrom residences to delivery stations may be eliminated which may be atconsiderable distances, for rural delivery. The parts may be constructedof any desired size, proportion or material, and while the constructionhas been shown and described in detail to fully explain one embodimentof the invention, it will be understood that changes may be made withinthe scope of the invention, as determinedby the appended claims.

What we claim and desire to secure b Letters Patent is,

1. In devices for the purpose described, the combination with a pair ofupright, terminal supports, peripherally grooved wheels journaledthereon, secondary upright supports intermediate the terminal supports,horizontal cross-bars on the secondary supports, each being provided atone of its ends with an upright pivot-pin, its opposite end beingprovided with a pivot-pin disclosed inclinedly to the longitudinal axisof the cross-bar, peripherally grooved wheels on the upright pivot-pinsof the cross-bars, peripherally grooved pulleys on the inclinedlydisposed pivotpins, an endless flexible carrier engaging in the groovesof said wheels and pulleys, a pair of hangers mounted upon the endlesscarrier, a pair of receptacles mounted upon the hangers, one of saidwheels being revoluble to move the endless carrier for conveying eachreceptacle from one terminal support to the other terminal support.

2. In devices for the purpose described, the combination with an uprightsupport, a second upright support remote from the first named support, astandard pivotally mounted between its ends on the second support, aperipherally grooved wheel j ournaled on the first named support, aperipherally grooved wheel journaled on the standard, an endlessflexible carrier engaging in the grooves of said wheels, said standardbeing adapted to have swinging movements for increasing or decreasingthe tension of the flexible endless carrier, a pair of hangers mountedupon the endless carrier, a pair of receptacles mounted upon thehangers, one of said wheels being revoluble to move the endless carrierfor conveying each receptacle from one support to the other support.

3. In devices for the purpose described, the combination with a pair ofwheels each being suitably j ournaled and provided with a peripheralgroove, an endless flexible cable engaging in said grooves, a pluralityof hangers secured to the cable, each of said hangers having arectilinear part, receptacles mounted on the rectilinear parts of thehangers, means for actuating one of the wheels for moving the cable,means for adjusting the mounting of the receptacles longitudinally ofthe rectilinear parts of the hangers, and means for adjusting thetension of the cable.

4L. In devices for the purpose described, the combination with anupright support, a second upright support remote therefrom, a standardpivotally mounted on the second upright support, peripherally groovedwheels journaled on the standard and first named upright support,secondary upright supports, cross-bars on the secondary uprightsupports, each being provided at one of its ends with an uprightpivot-pin, its opposite end being provided with a pivot-pin disposedinclinedly to the longitudinal axis of the crossbar, peripherallygrooved wheels on the upright pivot-pins of the cross-bars, peripherallygrooved pulleys on the inclinedly disposed pivot-pins, an endlessflexible carrier engaging in the grooves of said wheels and pulleys, apair of hangers mounted upon the endless flexible carrier, a pair ofreceptacles mounted upon the hangers, one of said wheels being revolubleto move the endless flexible carrier for conveying each receptacle, andmeans for adjusting the standard in the arc of a circle for increasingor decreasing the tension of the endless flexible carrier.

5. In devices for the purpose described, an upright support, a secondupright sup port, peripherally grooved wheels journaled on saidsupports, an endless flexible carrier engaging in the peripheral groovesof the wheels, a pair of hangers each consisting of a band secured atone of its ends upon the carrier and having a curved part projectingabove and outwardly of the carrier and a rectilinear part disposed belowthe carrier, sleeves adapted to be adjusted longitudinally of therectilinear parts of the hangers, a pair of receptacles mounted on thesleeves, one of said wheels being revoluble to move the endless flexiblecarrier for conveying said receptacles from one upright support to theother upright support.

6. In devices for the purpose described, the combination with theperipherally grooved wheels and the longitudinally movable cable mountedthereon, of a pair of hangers each consisting of a band provided at oneof its terminals with a pair of adjacently disposed loops circumscribingand secured to the cable, said band having a curved part adjacent tosaid loops projecting above and outwardly of the cable, and arectilinear part disposed below said cable, sleeves mounted upon andarranged for adjustment longitudinally of the rectilinear parts of thebands, and a pair of elongated receptacles hingeably mounted midwaybetween their ends upon the sleeves.

7. In devices for the purpose described, the combination with a pair ofupright, terminal supports, peripherally grooved wheels journaledthereon, an endless flexible carrier engaging in the grooves of saidwheels a pair of hangers mounted upon the endless carrier, a pair ofreceptacles mounted on the hangers, one of said wheels being revolubleto move the endless carrier for conveying each receptacle from oneterminal support to the other terminal support, and means forautomatically terminating the movement of the endless flexible carrierwhen a receptacle is conveyed to one of said terminal supports.

In testimony whereof, we have affixedour signatures in the presence oftwo witnesses.

CLARENCE A. MCDOUGALL. JOHN M. GIVENS.

l/Vitnesses:

HIRAM A. S'rnnons, .ARTHUR H. STURGES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. a

